13 Year Old Sentenced In "Knockout" Death

3 years ago

A 13-year-old boy has been sentenced to 18 months of confinement for the beating death of a 51-year-old Syracuse man.

The teenager waived his right to a hearing that was scheduled for Friday. He had pleaded guilty to assault and attempted assault, admitting that he started the fatal beating by attempting to knock the man out with a single punch.

The teen said he and his friends were playing a street game called ``knockout.'' His punch apparently had little to no effect, but the follow-up from a 16-year-old boy caused bleeding in the victim's brain, and he died in late May.

The 16-year-old co-defendant was found guilty last month in Onondaga County Family Court of second-degree manslaughter and received the same sentence.